This application relates to optical devices, and in particular, to optical depolarizers and devices for generating differential group delays (DGDs) and their applications.
Optical depolarizers are optical devices for reducing the degree of optical polarization of an input optical beam or randomizing the input polarization. Applications for such depolarizers include but are not limited to optical networks, test & measurement, and sensor applications. In an optical network application, for example, a depolarizer may be used to eliminate polarization sensitivity of Raman amplifiers. In test and measurement systems, depolarizing the output beam from a source laser may be used to eliminate polarization sensitivity of many test instruments.
Generation of variable DGDs has applications in optical communication systems and devices where polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) is present.